₦airaland Forum

I'm ready to give Mr President time to change this country for the better, God bless Nigeria

I hope madam will take her time to answer the questions raised in the media release .
we don't need you to tell us why oshiomole is doing this or that, what we need is answer to the allegations.
it's high we Nigerians stopped discussing the messenger rather than the message.
bro Paul said in the bible that he doesn't care if some people were preaching Jesus as a result of jealousy as long as Jesus was preached!
I also don't care who is making an allegation as long as such will lead to recovery of our common wealth., in fact I actually pray that God will keep throwing confusion into the camps of the politicians so that they will keep exposing themselves.
God bless Nigeria

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Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that there is nothing ‘personal’ between him and former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The Edo State Governor in a statement signed by Kassim Afegbua, Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, to the governor, on Thursday said the questions asked were: how come those accruals into the Excess Crude Account got depleted without the knowledge of the National Economic Council?
Tea full text below
BLACKMAIL WON’T HELP YOUR CASE, OSHIOMHOLE TELLS OKONJO-IWEALA
It is instructive at this point in time to state categorically without equivocation that there is nothing “personal” between Okonjo-Iweala and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in terms of the request by the Edo Governor that Okonjo-Iweala should come clean on the issue of revenue that accrued to the Excess Crude Account.
As much as her Spokesman tries to dramatize his response in defense of his boss, he has shown a manifest uninformed disposition to issues of simple economics of naira and kobo.
Here is a former Minister who has changed her position four times in the last forty days; each position exposing her dubiety of facts and inherent contradictions in the concocted tales she has been weaving on one simple issue: what happened to t5he $2.1b ECA funds?
PERTINENT QUESTIONS.
The simple questions which the Comrade Governor asked were: how come those accruals into the Excess Crude Account got depleted without the knowledge of the National Economic Council?
Okonjo-Iweala and Oshiomhole
How come monies that were supposed to accrue into the said account cannot be found in it going by the balance sheet provided by the former Minister? How come the Minister unilaterally dipped her hand into the Excess Crude Account to spend money in defiance of the constitution and the laws of the land?
How come that the Minister finds it convenient to publish allocations to States and Local Governments, but refused to publish accruals into the same account for us to know the status of the account at any point in time; how much was left from where she was distributing from?
What the Comrade Governor stated was that; it was interesting to note that by December 2012, the ECA had a balance of over $10billion. This had been depleted to $2.07billion by May 2015, according to the former Finance Minister. Between January 2013 and May 2015, not more than $4billion was shared among the three tiers of Government. Indeed, the last time any money was shared from the ECA was in May 2013.
Flowing from the above statement of facts, the Comrade Governor then asked a very pertinent question; how come there was no accretion to the ECA even when Crude oil prices averaged between $100 to $108 within the three years period of 2011 to 2014, aware that the National Budgets were based on $77 and $79 benchmark?
That gives an average of $30 per barrel gains. In fact, based on rough estimates, Nigeria should earn not less than $30billion accretion based on the official oil exports of 2.3 million barrels per day. The question which Okonjo-Iweala could not answer is; how come Nigeria did not make any savings during those three years of unprecedented oil price boom? Simple question that should ordinarily elicit simple response.
Without a scintilla of numerical reference, Okonjo-Iweala went into a voyage of storytelling like an intellectual raconteur, leaving out the real substance of the Comrade Governor’s salient questions.
First, she responded on May 28, 2015 where she denied the allegations describing them as “baseless”. Among other things she claimed that the 36 State Governors who are joint owners of the Excess Crude Account [ECA] with the Federal Government were in full picture of how the ECA was managed.
She stated inter alia; “how can Governor Oshiomhole claim that State Governors were not properly briefed on the status of the ECA when his Commissioner of Finance attends all FAAC meetings where decisions are taken and communicated to the nation?”
On June 29, 2015 exactly a month after, at the inaugural meeting of the National Economic Council [NEC] presided over by Vice President Professor Yemi Osibanjo, and with 36 states in attendance deliberated on the status of the ECA. After a critical scrutiny, it was discovered that indeed Dr. Okonjo-Iweala spent $2.1billion from the ECA without authorization by the NEC.
That money was neither distributed to states nor paid to the three tiers of government. This was the rationale for the setting up of the four-man Panel to look at what accrued, what it was spent for, when and by whom and who authorized the spending, so that Nigerians will have full picture of all the transactions as regards the much talked about Excess Crude Account.
SHIFTING THE GOAL POST.
On June 30, 2015, Okonjo-Iweala was once again reported as categorically denying unauthorized expenditure from the ECA under her purview, describing the findings of NEC as “false, malicious and without foundation”.
According to her, decisions on such expenditure and sharing were discussed at meetings of FAAC attended by Finance Commissioners from the 36 states.
In her words; “it is curious that in their desperation to use the esteemed National Economic Council for political and personal vendetta, the persons behind these allegations acted as if the constitutionally recognized FAAC, a potent expression of Nigeria’s fiscal federalism, does not exist”.
Is FAAC superior to NEC? Does FAAC have the constitutional powers to give approval for withdrawals from ECA?
On June 30, 2015 the Comrade Governor stated during his Live Television interview with Channels Television that the power to take money from ECA was vested in the NEC, an institution created by the Constitution and not State Finance Commissioners who were members of FAAC, an administrative arrangement that was not known to the Constitution.
Rather than open up, giving full disclosure, she was opening part of the book and not the entire book. According to Comrade Oshiomhole, the logic of transparency is that every Minister must publish in full what is accruing to the Federation Account month-to-month basis and what is distributed to them.
On July 7, 2015, barely a week after Okonjo-Iweala claimed that FAAC was involved in the unauthorized spending from the ECA, members of FAAC under the aegis of Forum of Finance Commissioners in a public statement, denied approving any withdrawal of the said $2.1 billion.
The 36 Finance Commissioners categorically described the former Minister’s claim as “misleading, and far from the fact”. Hear them; “the Law setting up FAAC, which pre-dates the ECA did not empower the Commissioners to approve such withdrawals, and that there were records of Committee’s meetings to show that they had always queried the activities on the ECA, particularly on withdrawals.
FAAC did not and could not have approved or took the decision to withdraw the sum of $2billion from the Excess Crude Account”.
On July 8, 2015, Okonjo-Iweala opened up a bit of the real gist when she admitted that $2billion was indeed withdrawn from the ECA this time, on the directives of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She further confirmed that the money was used to pay petroleum subsidies and not shared to the 36 states as she earlier declared.
The former Minister was quoted as saying; “payments made were used for paying for petroleum subsidies for the Nigerian people and were approved by Mr. President”.
She then made a volte face saying she did not claim that FAAC members approved the spending but that they were informed of the decision, “if monies were used to pay for subsidies for the Nigerian people and duly approved, why is Okonjo-Iweala’s name being battered in this way? She wondered, adding that “this persecution should stop”.
In fact, she is the one that is persecuting herself.
Subjecting this position to the crucible, one is prompted to ask Okonjo-Iweala if in all her experiences at the World Bank and elsewhere whether, the President has the right and powers under our laws to give approval for the withdrawal of $2billion from the ECA?
Whether the President has the power to usurp the powers of NEC with respect to withdrawals from the ECA? Whether the President has the powers to touch any money that belongs to the States and Local Governments?
It may interest Okonjo-Iweala to note that when the $5billion Power Intervention Fund was approved by NEC with all the 36 states Governors in session, due process had to be followed before the money was withdrawn from the ECA. Indeed, each of the 36 Governors had to seek the authorization of the Houses of Assembly, the 774 Local Government Chairmen and their Legislative Councils.
Just waking up in the morning to declare that “Mr. President” gave the approval and it was used to pay subsidy claims flies in the face of logic, common sense, due process and law. Was payment for subsidy not captured in the Appropriation Law?
Why would a Minister that is worth her salt dip her hands into our collective patrimony to take that much, a whopping $2billion on the directives of one Mr. President?
Can any World Bank Chief Executive dip hands into the till to take what belongs to all vide approval against what the laws and rules guiding World Bank specify? Was the Federal Government portion of the $2.1billion appropriated by the National Assembly before it was used to pay oil marketers?
To the best of our knowledge, there was nothing of the sort. We think very seriously that Okonjo-Iweala has more questions to answer. She has shifted grounds on four different scores. That tells so much on her integrity.
According to Brian Tracy, that celebrated author; “integrity is more than a value.
It is the one quality of mind that assures or guarantees all the other values that you select. You cannot have a little bit of integrity.
It must be all or nothing”. If Okonjo-Iweala truly understands the whole essence of integrity, we had expected her to come clean on these serious allegations of financial malfeasance instead of allowing her ill-informed Spokesman, such vend-able lick-spittle, to be vomiting incoherent and inconsistent banalities on issues that border on our collective patrimony.
This was the same attitude she put up when the issue of misappropriated N19.5billion Aviation Fund was being investigated under former President, Chief Olusegun Obaanjo. Till date, she has not been able to clear the air on the N6.5 billion loan she allegedly raised from Commercial Banksto fix Control Towers of Four Airports.
That is a story for another day.
Her latest resort to blackmail using her refusal to grant Edo State Government a loan request as the reason why the Comrade Governor is asking her valid questions that border on fraud and financial recklessness is completely at variance with the real issues at stake.
What has the request for loans got to do with the claim that someone dips her hand into the public till to spend what was not approved by the collective? How does she expect the states to survive when she refused to make full disclosure on accruals and declined to give them their share on a regular basis as required by law?
Because she plundered the resources with reckless abandon, she is now running from pillar to post without addressing the real issues. Please help us ask her; Madam Okonjo; what happened to ECA withdrawals?
What is the meaning of “numerical diarrhea” in the context of financial malfeasance and official sleaze that characterized Okonjo-Iweala’s regime as Finance Minster? From the records we have seen so far and the tantrums she has been throwing rather than address the real issues, it is appropriate to conclude that she was indeed Coordinating Minister of Economic Fraud and Financial Malfeasance.
All the acclaimed World Bank experiences were just part of the hollow rituals to hoodwink the Nigerian public from addressing the real issues of mismanagement. We will continue to insist that she comes out clean, no matter how ostentatiously dramatic she chooses to go.
SIGNED….
PRINCE KASSIM AFEGBUA
SPECIAL ADVISER, MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, TO THE EDO STATE GOV

God bless you for this info

and this is one of the reasons I don't believe any governor that says there's no money.
there are too many loopholes in this country through which our leaders can steal money and until we block those loopholes, real development may just be a mere wishful thinking for we the citizens.

saharareporters.com/2015/06/07/beyond-tears-victims-onitsha-tragedy-femi-falana

A fortnight ago, a runaway oil tanker truck exploded in a crowded bus station in Onitsha, Anambra state, and set ablaze 12 buses carrying passengers and killing 69 people while about 30 other victims have been hospitalized with severe burns. It was reported that the truck was barreling down the hill when the brakes failed and it veered off the road and rammed into the crowded bus station before exploding. Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state wept when he visited the scene of the tragic accident. The Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN expressed sympathy on behalf of the federal government, when he visited the scene of the accident and the surviving victims in the hospital last week.
Tanker explosion in Onitsha
Beyond the shedding of tears for the victims of the accident, the federal and the various state governments should adopt drastic measures to stop the carnage on our roads. This has become urgent as Nigeria is said to have the highest road accident rate in the world, as well as the largest number of deaths per 10,000 vehicles. The Federal Road Safety Commission should henceforth prosecute all reckless drivers including those who drive public officers and the owners of vehicles that ply the roads when they are not roadworthy. The reports of road accidents should be made available to members of the public with a view to ensuring that drivers of vehicles involved in road accidents are prosecuted.
With respect to the brutal killing of Professor Festus Iyayi by a driver in the convoy of Governor Idris Wada on November 12, 2013, along the Lokoja -Abuja road, our call for the prosecution of the suspects fell on deaf ears. In frustration, we had to file an action at the Federal High Court to compel the FRSC to file charges against the suspects. It was when the case was pending in court that the FRSC filed charges at the magistrate court, Lokoja, Kogi state against the driver and a construction company which were indicted in the investigation. Even then, desperate moves have been made to frustrate the prosecution of the suspects!
Having expressed sympathy with the victims and the bereaved relatives of those who were killed in the tragic accident at Onitsha the Anambra state Governor must ensure that a full investigation is carried out with a view to prosecuting the owner of the vehicle for not servicing the vehicle which led to the brake failure that caused the accident. If the driver survives the accident, he should be fished out and prosecuted for criminal negligence and manslaughter. More importantly, the Anambra government should coordinate the filing of civil suits against the owner of the vehicle for monetary compensation payable to each of the victims and the dependents of all those who lost their lives in the inferno. As far as the Fatal Accident Law of Anambra state is concerned. the owner of the vehicle is vicariously liable for the accident. Of course, the owner is at liberty to contact the insurance company which insured the vehicle to bear the damages payable in the circumstance.
Femi Falana SAN.

thanks for the enlightenment

may God help you Sir

if you collected allocation from abuja for six months(no matter how meager) and you can't pay one month salary out of six months allocation, then you have no excuse
are you saying you as the governor and other political appointees have not collected a kobo as salary or allowances in the last six months?
now you're calling on people to make sacrifices when you as the leader isn't ready to make any!
you're just a wicked soul and nothing more.
you're a shame to the Yoruba race and Nigeria at large.

can you imagine such absurdity! why not use the money to benefit of the entire populace in the Niger delta instead of giving it to a few people?
I learnt there are places in the region with no good roads and portable water yet gej kept diverting money meant for the people to the purse of few.
it's even bad these people aren't ready to give back to the people, I can't understand why asari would go and establish a university in Benin republic when he could have used thesame university to reduce unemployment among his people if it was established in Niger delta.
I pray that God will give buhari the wisdom to handle this such that the common men will benefit more rather than a few individuals

Fayose must be high on weed to say something like that! lwkmd

thenationonlineng.net/new/buhari-condoles-with-anambra-joe-biden/ I hope you guys are satisfied now?

perhaps you should direct your question to gej.
he was the president, he appointed the minister of power, the nerc chairman was appointed by him, the discos got the companies through him and under his supervision, so who was hoarding the power to discredit him?
was it not his minister of power in person of prof nebo who announced to all Nigerians that we were generating less than 2000 megawatts last week?
pls let's be reasonable with our thinking sir!

congrats bro,we're so proud if you. I do hope your tenure will bring real development to the Africa continent

goodbye to you. you were given the opportunity to make an impact but you misused it!

goodbye to you. you were given the opportunity to make an impact but you misused it!

I'm really disappointed in amaechi's conduct as far as this local govt election is concerned.
as much as I like the man, his recent behaviours is making me have a rethink about his person.

I'm beginning to like this man,God bless you bro.
how I wish we common Nigerians will understand that tribe isn't our major problem in this country rather it's bad leadership and this cuts across all the tribes,regions and even religions

if this is true,then the govt should find a way of encouraging this young man.
be that as it may,putting some references would have added more credence to the article.

just bought at #140/litre now in ekiti

one thing that's obvious is the fact that the country is broke, the oil marketers know that it may be difficult asking buhari to pay the debts incured by gej so their best bet is to ensure that gej pays before he leaves or in the alternative ensure there's fuel scarcity when GMB takes over so that he will be forced to negotiate with them as soon as possible.
no new govt wants to start his tenure with hardship on the people, so I don't think it has anything to do with APC or PDP, it's straight forward a bargaining strategy by the oil marketers.

na wa o! they should have put the name of the restaurant joor

anybody that defends gej when it comes to corruption is just not being sincere actually.
thank God the guy didn't win, this country would have collapsed before the completion of his second term.
I just pray that GMB will live up to expectations as far as anti corruption crusade is concerned

RIP baba, my condolences to his family particularly his son Dr Ayodele ateniola Awojobi.
may God grant you guys the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

President-elect Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
(retd.), has made the TIME’s list of 100 most
influential people in the world.
Also included in the 2015 list are the advocate of
the Bring Back Our Girls Group, Mrs. Obiageli
Ezekwesili; award-winning novelist, Chimamanda
Adichie, and leader of the Boko Haram terrorist
group, Abubakar Shekau.
The TIME 100 is an annual list of 100 most
influential people in the world whose works are
changing the world, regardless of the
consequences of their actions.
Described as “a new choice for Nigeria,” TIME’s
Africa Bureau Chief, Aryn Baker, said Buhari made
history in March by becoming the first candidate to
oust a sitting Nigerian President through the ballot
box.
“Now he has to live up to voters’ expectations.
From battling the Boko Haram insurgency to
tackling endemic corruption, Buhari has many
challenges ahead. The greatest may be overcoming
his past as a military ruler, who seized power in
1983.
“Already the born-again democrat is demonstrating
the inclusivity necessary to lead a nation driven by
ethnic and religious tension. It’s a promising start
for a President-to-be, who wants to leave a legacy
to match the historic conditions of his election,”
Baker noted.
Renowned Ugandan activist, Sister Rosemary
Nyirumbe, said of Ezekwesili, “It has been a year,
and the girls(Chibok girls) haven’t been rescued, but
she has made a difference by speaking about it.
Not just speaking but shouting. I know some people
will say she is too loudmouthed. The loud mouth is
needed. People hear it.”
Adichie was also described as “conjurer of
character” by the deputy Managing Director of
TIME , Radhika Jones.
“It’s the rare novelist, who in the space of a year
finds her words sampled by Beyoncé, optioned by
Lupita Nyong’o and honoured with the National Book
Critics Circle Award for fiction,” she said.
The last Nigerian to make the list is Shekau.
Described as the “scourge of Africa” by General
Carter Ham(retd.), a former Commander of US
Africa Command from 2011 to 2013.
Ham said Shekau was the “most violent killer”
Nigeria (and Africa) had ever seen.
Shekau took over the Boko Haram group in 2009
after the group had been weake
ned by the Nigerian
military.
http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-ezekwesili-adichie-shekau-make-time-100-list/

this has just confirmed one thing: Segun osoba is not as influential as he would want people to believe!
he's been disgraced and the APC should not allow him back to their fold.
I just pity the dep gov, the senators and those house of rep members who followed him foolishly.
mentioning anything like progressive family is laughable, so you guys are planning to reap where you didn't sow, no way!
so you people didn't collect any money from the presidency yet osoba was busy arranging meetings btw gej and Ogun monarchs?
yeye people!

RIP, may God console the family

maybe the guy is praising buhari so that the pipeline contract won't be rescinded!

and this same man promised gej 6million votes!